Jet boat discharge mounting assembly



y 26, 1964 R. L. COCHRAN 3,134,357

JET BOAT DISCHARGE MOUNTING ASSEMBLY Filed NOV. 8, 1962 Fig. 1.

W INVENTOR 37 36 '40 RICHARD LCOCHRAN Fig. 2. BY

fbwwmgwww A'Homeys United States Patent Ofitice 3,134,357 Patented May 26, 1964 3 134 357 JET BOAT DISCHARCE MOUNTING ASSEMBLY Richard L. Cochran, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to The Buehler Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 236,290 5 Claims. (Cl. 115- 14) The present invention relates to a mounting arrangement for the discharge conduit of a jet watercraft.

One type of jet propelled boat incorporates an engine operatively connected to a pump located within a conduit extending through the boat from an intake opening at the bottom of the boat to an exhaust at the rear of the boat. Water is taken into the conduit through the intake opening and is exhausted in a stream from the rear of the boat causing the boat to move. At the exhaust there is provided a housing which either permits passage of the water in the form of a jet or contains the water under a certain amount of pressure for reverse movement. It is highly desirable in constructing such jet craft that means be provided for preventing leakage of the water from the housing into the craft. It is also highly desirable that theconduit and associated components of such a craft be susceptible of rapid yet accurate assembly with the components meeting only conventional manufacturing tolerances.

' Consequently, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a mounting arrangement for a jet watercraft conduit which prevents water leakage into the craft and which makes possible fast accurate mounting of the conduit in the craft.

A further object of the present invention is,to provide improved means for mounting the pump discharge conduit for a jet watercraft.

Related objects and advantages become apparent as ing rings are received within the grooves and press against the conduit to seal off water leakage. The annular member has a part-sphericalouter surface which is larger centrally than at either end thereof. Surrounding the annular memberand engaging the housing is an annular element havingan inwardly projecting flange which bears against a further resilient sealing ring received betweenthe flange and the housing and forces the resilient sealing ring against the exterior surface of the annular member; thus preventing leakage between the annular member and the annular element. I

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following descriptionand claims. I

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a jet boat incorporating the novel direction control of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the rearward end of the jet boat of FIG. 1 with portions in section to show the interior structure of the gate housing, the transom and associated structure.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there g is illustrated a jet boat 10 including a hull 11 which is provided with an intake opening 12 at the bottom of the boat. A conduit 15 is secured by suitable bolts or the like to the bottom 16 of the boat so as to be in registry with the intake opening 12. The conduit 15 contains a pump 16 which is driven by a conventional marine engine 17 coupled to the pump by means of a shaft 20, the pump functioning to pump water from the intake 12 to and out of the rear of the boat. The conduit 15 includes at its rearward end a tail pipe or discharge section 21 which extends through an opening 22 in the transom 26 and an opening 25 in the forward wall 27 of a housing 30, respectively. The housing 30 is fixedly mounted on the transom 26.

The housing 30 contains a gate 31 which is vertically movable between the illustrated upward position of FIG. 2 to a position wherein the gate completely covers and seals off the opening 32 in the rearward wall 35 of the housing. Such a gate and suitable means for the operation thereof are disclosed in my co-pending application entitled Jet Boat Reverse Movement Arrangement, Serial No. 227,249, filed approximately October 1, 1962, and in the copending application of Howard P. Lerwick et al. en-

titled Rolling Disc Gate, Serial No. 164,481, filed January 5, 1962. When the gate 31 is in the above mentioned position, the pump 16 functions to pump water through the discharge section 21 into the housing 30 where the pressure of the water is maintained at a high value. The water stays under pressure because the only exit from the housing 30 in addition to the exit or opening 32 is an opening 36 at the lower end of the housing.

This opening 36 is controlled by a pivotal deflector 37 I identical to the deflector disclosed and claimed in my above mentioned copending application entitled Jet Boat Reverse Movement Arrangement. It is sufficient for the present disclosure to state that the pivotal deflector 37 is forced open by means of the pressure of the water within the housing 30 and against the action of a spring 40. Consequently, it can be appreciated that the water in the housing is under pressure when the gate 31 closes off the opening 32. This water pressure has a tendency to cause leakage between the tail pipe 21 and an' annular member 41 and to also cause leakage between the annular member 41 and the transom 26 and housing forward wall 27.

The discharge section 21 has mounted therein by means of a snap ring 42, an orifice providing member 45. The member 45 has formed therein a tapered frusto-conically shaped opening 46 which functions to guide and constrict' the water moving from the pump 16 into the form of a jet so that it passes through the opening 32 without an appreciable portion of the water contacting the housing 30. Consequently, when the gate 31 is in its illustrated upward position, the water creates little or no pressure within the housing. j I

Pivotally mounted upon the housing 30 are a pair of deflectors 50, each of the deflectors being positioned at opposite sides of the opening 32. The quadrant shaped member 51 is pivotally mounted upon the housing 30 by means of a shaft 52 fixed to the quadrant shaped memher and pivoted within bearing elements 55 integralwith and projecting from the rearward wall 35 of thehousing 30. The quadrant shaped member 51 can be pivoted by suitable means within the craft to cause one or the other of a pair of downwardly projecting portions 56 (only one shown) of the quadrant shaped member 51 to bear against the external surface of one or the other of the deflectors St to deflect the jet passing through the opening 32 for steering the craft.

The mounting arrangement of the present invention comprises the annular member 41 which is received with in a receptacle defined by the surface of the opening 25 and the inner surface 6t) of an annular element 61. The annular member 4:. is larger centrally than at either end and the surfaces 25 and 60 engage the annular member on either side of the larger central portion thereof. The annular element 61 has an inwardly projecting flange 62 which defines the surface on and which bears against a resilient sealing ring 65 of rubber or the like received between the flange and the forward wall 27 of the housing. The sealing ring 65 is squeezed against the outer partspherical surface 66 of the annular member 41 and against the housing forward wall 27 by means of bolts 67 which extend through suitable bores in the housing forward Wall 27 and the annular element 61. Consequently, leakage is prevented between the annular member 41 and the structure external thereof. It should be noted that by releasing the bolts er, the annular member 41 can be pivoted to various angles, thus making possible more convenient assembly of the conduit and particularly the discharge section 21 thereof with the annular member 41.

The annular member 41 has a pair of grooves 76 in its internal periphery, said grooves extending completely around the inner surface of the annular member 41. Received within each of the grooves '70 is a resilient sealing ring 71 of rubber or the like which bears against the outer surface of the discharge section 21. In assembling the conduit in the boat, it is only necessary to project the generally cylindrically shaped discharge section 21 through the opening 72 in the annular member 41. The sealing rings 71 then automatically seal the annular member 41 to the discharge section and prevent leakage from the housing into the craft between the discharge section and the annular member. With the conduit 15 rapidly positioned in its proper fore and aft relation with the craft, the forward end '75 of the conduit 15 may then be quickly bolted to the bottom 16 of the boat. Bolts 67 are tightened and assembly has been completed.

It can be appreciated that the mounting arrangement of the present invention provides means for preventing Water leakage into the craft and also makes possible fast, accurate mounting of the pump-receiving conduit in the craft even though the various parts in the assembly may not be formed to accurate'tolerances.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A mounting arrangement for a jet propelled watercraft including a transom having a first opening therethrough, a housing secured to said transom and having a second opening in registry with said first opening, a conduit extending through said openings from within said craft into said housing and having an outer surface extending longitudinally of said conduit, said arrangement comprising an annular member surrounding said conduit and having an inside face extending longitudinally of said conduit, said annular member having a pair of grooves extending around the complete inside face thereof, a pair of resilient sealing rings received respectively within said grooves and pressing against said outer surface of said conduit to seal off water leakage, said annular member having a part-spherical outer surface which is larger centrally than at either end thereof, an annular element surrounding said annular member and engaging said housing, said annular element having a flange integral therewith and extending radially inwardly in spaced relation to said housing, a further resilient sealing ring received between said flange and said housing, bolts extending through said housing and annular element and tightened to an extent sufiicient to cause said further sealing ring to tightly engage said housing and the external surface of said annular element.

2. A mounting arrangement for a jet propelled watercraft including a transom having a first opening therethrough, a housing secured to said transom and having a second opening in registry with said first opening, a conduit extending through said openings from within said craft into said housing and having an outer surface-extending longitudinally of said conduit, said arrangement comprising an annular member surrounding said conduit and having an inside face extending longitudinally of said conduit, said annular member having a pair of grooves therein extending around the complete inside face thereof, a pair of resilient sealing rings received respectively within said grooves and pressing against said outer surface of said conduit to seal off water leakage, an annular element surrounding said annular member, said annular element having a flange integral therewith and extending radially inwardly in spaced relation to said housing, a further resilient sealing ring received between said flange and said housing, means for holding said annular element against said housing and causing said further sealing ring to tightly engage the external surface of said annular element.

3. A mounting arrangement for a jet propelled watercraft having a first opening therethrough, a housing secured to said watercraft and having a second opening in registry with said first opening, a conduit extending through said openings from within said craft into said housing and having an outer surface extending longitudinally of said conduit, said arrangement comprising an annular member surrounding said conduit and having an inside face extending longitudinally of said conduit, said annular memberhaving a groove extending around the complete inside face thereof, a resilient sealing ring received within said groove and pressing against said outer surface of said conduit to seal off water leakage, an annular element surrounding said annular member, a further resilient sealing ring received between said element and said housing, and means for holding said annular element against said housing to cause said further sealing ring to tightly engage said housing and the external surface of said annular member. v

4. A mounting arrangement for a jet propelled watercraft having a first opening therethrough, a housing secured to said watercraft and having a second opening in registry with said first opening, a conduit extending through said openings from within said craft into said housing and having an outer surface extending longitudinally of said conduit, said arrangement comprising an annular member surrounding said conduit and having an inside/face extending longitudinally of said conduit, said annular member having a groove extending around the complete inside face thereof, a resilient sealing ring received Within said groove and pressing against said outer surface of said conduit to seal off Water leakage, said annular member being ball-joint mounted in Watertight fashion within said openings on said watercraft. Y

5. A mounting arrangement for a jet propelled watercraft including a transom having a first opening therethrou gh, a housing secured to said transom and having a second opening in registry with said first opening, a conduit extending through said openings from within said craft into said housing, an annular member surrounding said conduit, said annular member having an inner surface extending longitudinally of said conduit, said conduit having an outer surface extending parallel to said inner surface and longitudinally of said conduit, resilient means between said surfaces sealing said annular member to said conduit but permitting relative movement of said conduit and annular member longitudinally of said conduit without disturbing the seal therebetween, said annular memher being ball-joint mounted in water-tight fashion within said openings on said watercraft.

0 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Walters Nov. 28, 1922 Elmendorf Nov. 12, 1929 Basso Ian. 1, 1963 Spence Apr. 2, 1963 Chronic May 14,1963 

4. A MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR A JET PROPELLED WATERCRAFT HAVING A FIRST OPENING THERETHROUGH, A HOUSING SECURED TO SAID WATERCRAFT AND HAVING A SECOND OPENING IN REGISTRY WITH SAID FIRST OPENING, A CONDUIT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS FROM WITHIN SAID CRAFT INTO SAID HOUSING AND HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CONDUIT, SAID ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING AN ANNULAR MEMBER SURROUNDING SAID CONDUIT AND HAVING AN INSIDE FACE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CONDUIT, SAID ANNULAR MEMBER HAVING A GROOVE EXTENDING AROUND THE COMPLETE INSIDE FACE THEREOF, A RESILIENT SEALING RING RECEIVED WITHIN SAID GROOVE AND PRESSING AGAINST SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CON- 